


Daughter of the Night

by thesameguest



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 06:19:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17381240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesameguest/pseuds/thesameguest
Summary: Some pure, unapologetic fluff delving into Zelda and Sabrina's relationship, because it intrigues me a lot. In my mind, not very long before the Dark Baptism turmoil these two used to have quite a more relaxed and close bond - and they may go back there. Three moments involving them over time.





	1. A matter of words

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, English's not my mothertongue. Bear with my mistakes.

 

“Come here, Sabrina. You buttoned up your pajamas all wrong, you see” Zelda gestured for her niece to get closer to the bed where she was sitting. The five-year-old girl obeyed, letting her aunt fix her PJ’s buttons while she sang softly to herself a cartoon jingle.

“Here. Don’t forget your woollen socks”.

“My feet are not cold, Auntie. Honest” Sabrina answered quickly, refusing with her small hand the socks in Zelda’s hands. “But they _will_ in a while, and you’ll call me whining for them. Here. Wear them now” the older witch answered matter-of-factly, handing out the fluffy lilac night socks to the little girl, who gave her the tiniest eyeroll before complying with the request.

“Now, let’s undo these pigtails of yours”, the redhead continued, placing Sabrina close to her. The hairdo was clearly Hilda’s signature. She wouldn’t admit it aloud, but Sabrina looked even cuter in her pigtails – as if she could be any cuter. She rapidly untangled the small blonde’s curls while lightly massaging her scalp, something that seemed to soothe the child before going to bed.

“Well done. I guess we’re ready for tonight’s tale, are we?” the redhead got up, taking from the shelf a worn out old book whose pages showed fingerprints and dog-ears left from many little Spellmans, including herself. “I want Bedknob and Broomstick tonight, Auntie Zee. Please. Auntie Hilda and I started it the other day and Ambrose promised me he’d find the movie for me to watch after we’ve finished it” Sabrina bounced along a little around the room, looking for Mary Norton’s  children’s classic.

It was now Zelda’s turn to roll her eyes while she sat down again on the bed, resting her back on the headboard. “You _know_ that the depiction of witches and witchcraft in popular culture is far from being accurate, right, Sabrina? For Satan’s sake, those books were made to  entertain mortal children who won’t have the privilege of a proper magical education like you do” she tiredly admonished her niece, who had now found what she was looking for.

“Please, Auntie” she said softly, placing the book on her nightstand, before climbing on Zelda’s lap.  
The redhead raised her eyebrow while, at the same time, immediately holding the little girl, who had quickly settled in her favourite position.

 Although her façade might look hard and stern, Zelda Spellman would never deny Sabrina the comfort she asked from her – especially when what she needed was just a tight koala hug before going to sleep. Her niece was growing up fast and her emotional self-reliance was growing with her. Some evenings, though, she would silently ask for this, and the older witch would never say no, enjoying herself the tenderness and intimacy of having her little girl all for herself, calm and relaxed, with no interferences.

Sometimes Sabrina would snuggle up to her when she had something on her mind or some story she would like to tell her aunt about her day, so Zelda braced herself for any metaphysical kindergarten-age questions. The girl closed her eyes, resting her cheek and her nose against Zelda’s neck, the woman’s heartbeat and her safe embrace immediately giving her comfort and relax.

“I know it’s not about real witches, but it’s so much fun, Auntie. If my friends can read stories about fairies and stuff their parents don’t believe in for real…Why can’t I read stories of fake witches just for fun?”

The older witch sighed, deciding not to debate Sabrina’s argument this time. She took the book in her right hand, while she stroked Sabrina’s hair with the other hand, her niece mirroring her gesture in a more childish way, playing with her aunt’s long red locks.

  
Zelda was about to start reading about Miss Price’s latest shenanigans, when… “Aunt Zee?”

Sabrina had been an unexpected Satan’s blessing in so many ways. Not only the child was rarely whiny and annoying – like most children her age were, in her experience – but she was bright, smart and funny. She was a lovely little person to have around, and her aunts would often secretly laugh to tears about something she said or did.  
Nonetheless, her questions were becoming more and more challenging, giving them glimpses of the curious, spirited young witch she’d become one day.

“Yes?” the redhead answered, closing her eyes in anticipation.

“Is it true what Aunt Hilda said to Cousin Roseanne today? That you’re my night mommy?”

“What do you mean, Sabrina?” Zelda asked, slightly puzzled by the question. A far away relative had visited them that afternoon, but the girl had barely met her, absorbed as she was in an outdoor game with Ambrose.

“Cousin Roseanne asked who my night mommy was, and Auntie Hilda said ‘twas you. I thought…is this why I go to you when I’m scared at night? And I like to cuddle with you before bed the most? Because you’re my night mommy? Wait, are you my night mommy ‘cause you’re a night owl and Auntie Hilda could sleep through a Poke-a-lips instead?”

Something clicked in Zelda’s mind and she couldn’t suppress a soft laughter before addressing the little girl’s string of questions. “She didn’t exactly say that, Sabrina. What Cousin Roseanne referred to is your Night Mother, or Unholy Godmother. Which I am, yes. But it doesn’t have to do with putting you to bed, in the slightest. It is a much more serious matter, actually.”

“Oh” Sabrina answered, quite disappointed. She had liked her own version, especially the sound of it, much better. The aunties had firmly opted for not confusing her. They had taught her to call them by their names since she was a baby and that had been the end of it.  “And what is that about, then?” she asked, raising an eyebrow without raising her head from Zelda’s neck.

“You see, when a witch or a warlock is born, the parents choose a person they trust very much to be the babe’s Night Mother. This person is supposed to help them raise the child while he or she is growing up” she tried to explain in a simple way to her niece.

“Oh. Roz has a…godsomething lady. But I guess it’s not the same. They see each other just at Christmas. But last year she took her to Disneyworld!” the girl recalled, her eyes growing wide at the idea. Zelda made her best attempt to nip the whole concept of going to Disneyworld in the bud through a brief, yet clear deadpan glare. She was aware that Sabrina’s situation was a little different from the average.

“Night Mothers have a…more serious role among witches, Sabrina. They are supposed to guide the child, to teach him or her about magic and what it means to be a witch or a warlock. Normally they don’t live with the children, though. In your case, your father asked me to be your Night Mother before you were born because…we were very close. Then the accident happened and you came to live with your Aunt Hilda and me. Our case is different.”

“I see”, little Sabrina nodded, answering in her serious adult-like tone. Then she brightened again. “So that is why you teach me about magic all the time” she started recapping what she had just learnt. “Because you want me to be the bestest witch I can one day. And that’s why you scold me and  give me time-outs, too” she added, more cheekily. “Because you’re my unholy-god-mommy of the night!” she concluded, satisfied of her deductions.

Zelda sighed, trying to conceal her own amusement. “If you like to look at it that way, yes”.  
Somebody had to be in charge of that anyway, she thought. She couldn’t really complain about the balance Hilda and her had spontaneously found through the years. Each of them could provide Sabrina with something the other sibling wouldn’t be able to do as efficiently. Being the bad cop was not funny, but she was used at playing the villain character anyway. Sabrina was a pretty reasonable child, and they understood each other easily. Just a firm tone and her death glare worked as a deterrent in most cases.

“I’m your only night kid, right?” the small witch asked, following her own invisible line of thoughts. “Yes, you are” Zelda answered softly, rocking Sabrina a little, sensing that she was close to falling asleep. Maybe we shall be able to skip Miss Price tonight, she thought. Praise Satan.

“Ok”. The girl snuggled even more tightly to her aunt, closing her eyes again. “Story now. Please”.

Zelda opened the book and started reading. After a little while, she heard Sabrina’s light snoring. She gingerly moved the child from her marsupial-like position, placing her properly in the bed and tucking her in. “Go to sleep, little witch of mine” she whispered in a fond undertone, sure that her niece wouldn’t hear.

She lingered a little, watching the little girl sleep. When she had decided to take in Sabrina, her family was going through a time of pain. She clearly remembered the first night she held 6 months old Sabrina to get her to sleep, silently crying herself, overwhelmed by her own grief. She remembered feeling lost, mad at Edward for his sudden departure. Terrified about this mission she had chosen to undertake. And yet, the strongest, scariest feeling of all was this flood of tempestuous, almost painful love for the vulnerable, whiny human in her arms. Would Hilda and her be able to give her what she needed? Would she be able to pull her own mess together enough to make things right for the babe?

She had not expected this kind of love to hurt. Nor to fill her life so much, in such a little time.

“You’re forgetting the kiss” small Sabrina mumbled. Zelda bent on her and placed a kiss on her hair. “Go to sleep for real, now” she added in a mock stern tone.

She hadn’t expected this girl to make her so happy, and anxious, and scared of whatever could threaten her, outside or inside the coven.

There was so much more on the table for them, compared to the brief explanation she had given the child. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to protect Sabrina through any night – literal and metaphorical.

She got up and silently left the room, chuckling inwardly. _Night mommy_ , seriously? Mephistopheles save us!

 


	2. Gro-witch pains

 

Her family had been calling her a night owl for centuries, with a good reason.

Night was undoubtedly her favourite time. Not just because of the witching hour being the most suitable for magical or other recreational activities of any kind. It was about the dark, and the silence. The dark that wrapped nature, human beings, every single thing in a protective mantle, suspending in time all earthly tribulations. The sacred silence that allowed her, for a few hours, just to be – to breathe without the effort of keeping up her tough façade. A silence that also allowed her, at a safe distance from Hilda’s snoring, to indulge in the reading of her favourite classics. What did Italo Calvino say? A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say…

“Seriously, Aunt Zee? Isn’t it like the 6th time you’re re-reading _Frankenstein_? Looking for new creative ideas for the mortuary?” Her niece’s blond bob had appeared at once behind her. Eleven-year-old Sabrina was more awake than ever, apparently,

Zelda didn’t raise her eyes from the book, just answering in her no-nonsense tone. “First of all, this is just the fourteenth time I read it, this century. Secondly, I don’t need extravagant ideas from Mary Shelley for running my mortuary. Thirdly, what are you doing out of bed, Sabrina Spellman?”

“Couldn’t sleep” the small witch shrugged, while plopping down on the couch herself.

Sabrina had always been quite a light sleeper. Recently she had entered middle school and witch pre-puberty, which implied more difficulties getting asleep and a few agitated dreams. Even with Hilda’s calming infusions, some evenings the little witch was just restless. Her body was beginning to change, her magical powers were getting stronger and she was starting to struggle keeping it all under control. She was bursting with energy and, as adorable as she still was most of the time, she was experiencing mood swings and could be a handful, at times.

“You know what a coincidence, Auntie? I guess there’s a _Buffy_ rerun starting on tv just in a few minutes. Maybe I could watch it until I’m more sleepy” Sabrina suggested nonchalantly.

Zelda raised an eyebrow, still not making eye contact with the girl. “Seriously, Sabrina?”

“But Auntie…I’m allowed to watch tv again, now” the girl answered, slightly whining. A couple of weeks before, she had experienced a domestic magic accident. Namely, she had tried a materialization spell – from a book she had been explicitly told not to touch – which had resulted in a small fire in her bedroom. The memory of Aunt Zelda’s eyes flaring from fear and anger in equal parts after dragging her out of the room crossed briefly her mind. All considered, an intense lecture and two weeks without watching tv and hanging out with Roz and Susie were not the worst possible outcome of her mischief. However, two long weeks had passed. She had felt guilty and bored enough.

“I don’t care, Sabrina. You’re already restless enough. You don’t need to get more excitement from tawdry monsters or vampires or Satan knows what else” the older witch stated with finality, now throwing a glance at her pouting niece.

“But Auntie, _Buffy_ ’s not like that! It is not that exciting…I mean, it is, but in a good way. An educational way, even. Willow – my favourite character - has just discovered she’s a very badass witch, and…”

“Besides” Zelda interrupted her “you’re not even able to watch it by yourself. You’re too little for that gore stuff. No way you’re watching it before sleeping. For Satan’s sake, you had a nightmare about the Goonies last month.”

“But you’d be here with me so I wouldn’t be scared at all” the young witch proposed playfully, still holding some hope. She actually liked the idea of watching the scary, yet attractive vampire-slaying show all snuggled close to Aunt Zee. Ambrose used to make fun of her, tickling or ‘booing’ her in the most frightful moments of the show, so he wasn’t a completely safe _Buffy_ -buddy. Aunt Zee wouldn’t do that.

Zelda glanced at her before returning to her reading “No way. Maybe another time.”

Sabrina sighed in defeat, then decided to lie down, resting her head on her aunt’s lap and curling up to find a comfortable spot on the old couch.

“Maybe I could read you some financial news from my Russian newspaper to bore you enough to sleep” the redhead proposed, while placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. Sabrina snorted in return. “Thanks, Auntie, but no”.

“I could read you something else, if you want to” she added in a softer, less sarcastic tone. “One of those sugary, feel-good novels for mortal children. _Pollyanna_ or _Anne of Green Gables_ or _The little princess_ or whatever other orphan you like. Or…what about those books Hilda found for you at Dr. Cerberus? Those that made you laugh to tears the other day? Eva Ibbotson’s?”

“Yeah” Sabrina smiled. “But I don’t want to. I just want to stay here”, closing her eyes with a small sigh, while the older witch put down her volume, gently stroking the girl’s curly hair. “Is there something bothering you, Sabrina?”

“Auntie Zee…”

“Yes”

“When you were my age, did you ever feel like you wanted to punch somebody in their face when they pissed you off?”

All the time, every day of my life, the redhead answered in her mind. “Of course. Those impulses you feel, Sabrina, are connected both with puberty and the development of your magical powers. They’re more than normal, but it is key that you learn how to control them. Especially with mortals. You cannot still ration efficiently your energy, on one hand, and they could still knock you down because you’re small, on the other hand” Zelda explained, switching to educational mode. The younger witch nodded.

“Did you actually punch someone, Sabrina?”

Her niece shook her head. “I didn’t. But I was about to do it today. Some older boys were teasing Susie after school. They were very nasty and mean and I just wanted to…smash them!”.

Zelda sighed, relieved at knowing she wouldn’t have to sit through a particularly annoying parent-teacher meeting to explain why and how her petite niece had thrown a pubescent boy out of a window.

“I see. Anyway, it’s important that you keep at bay that energy of yours and not wreak havoc at school. We will work on your concentration skills this weekend.”

“Yeah. It’s just…I can’t stand bullies, Auntie. I wish I was big already and I could neutralize them with magic without anyone realizing it’s me. Or with words, like you do with nasty people. Maybe you could teach me sarcasm instead of magic.”

Zelda cringed inwardly. Soon enough, long before she would have liked, Sabrina would grow into a smart, self-confident teenage witch. In a heartbeat, she would no longer look up at her with those sweet child’s eyes. Maybe she would trade them with an unforgiving gaze. She would see her flaws, the hardest and darkest edges of her personality, her many mistakes. Zelda would no longer be her hero; those days were rapidly coming to an end. She could only hope the girl would not resent her too much – for taking her away from the mortal world she loved, or for any other reason; that they would butt heads without seriously hurting each other.

On one hand she was looking forward to Sabrina’s coming of age: her Dark Baptism would assure her a greater safety and the access to the proper education she was entitled to. To the world of her true peers.

On the other hand, Zelda dreaded the arrival of those endless days without Sabrina at the breakfast table. She feared the time when Hilda and her would no longer be there to shield her from the worst face of their world, from its inner cruelty.

“Adults are not perfect either, Sabrina. All of us have impulses like those you describe. You have a brilliant mind in that little head of yours. With time and experience, you’ll learn to use properly both your magical skills and your…wit to do what is right. Once you grow up and officially join the Church of Night everything will be easier, I can assure you that. In any case, young lady” she admonished “your budding powers must not interfere with the mortals. You must promise me you will work very hard to avoid that at any cost” she moved her niece so that she could slightly roll on her back and they could lock eyes.

“I’ll try to. I promise” Sabrina answered seriously; her eyelids were starting to feel heavy while her fingers played with the fabric of Zelda’s nightgown, as a younger version of herself would do to soothe herself.

“But what if I fail? What if I mess up badly at school with my powers?”

Zelda sensed some real anxiety behind her niece’s words. “Nothing extraordinary. Your principal and teachers will receive a complimentary batch of your Aunt Hilda’s memory-erasing shortbread. And I will homeschool you from the following day, until the day of your Dark Baptism, as it should have been from the beginning. That’s it”.

Sabrina widened her eyes, quickly counting in her mind. “That would be five years! Nah, you wouldn’t really do that!” she responded, in a mixture of amusement and worry.

“Of course I would” the older witch replied with her usual commanding tone, her hand resting on her niece’s curls.

“You wouldn’t. Because I like my friends and my school a lot – except for bullies – and you would never do that because you love me more than anything” the girl concluded with a wide, cheeky smile.

“I see…and how do you know that, if I may ask?” an amused Zelda inquired.

“Auntie Hilda. She told me that she loves me to the moon and back, and that you love me more than anything in this world. I guess she meant both the witches’ and the mortal world. Anyway” Sabrina explained, before yawning and closing her eyes, still with an impish smile on her lips.

For the thousandth time, annoyance and gratitude towards her sister danced hand by hand in Zelda’s chest.  
“She did, huh? When?”

“Mmm-mmh. Many times…” Sabrina shrugged in response, snuggling even closer to the older witch.

“Hey. I hope you don’t expect me to carry you upstairs to your room, missy. You’re not a little child anymore” the redhead said in a mock serious tone.

“…and I love you, too” Sabrina continued, her voice muffled from sleepiness.

Zelda chuckled softly, caressing the dozing girl’s head. So, instead of a tête-à-tête with Mary Shelley, her night would feature her carrying – or teleporting – a pre-teen witch to bed.  
_Night mommy_ duty, I suppose, she thought. As long as it lasts.

 


	3. Night storms

It was almost midnight, and the winds of an intense storm were howling outside the Spellman manor.  
Zelda had come back home very late. Sabrina had heard the whistle of the kettle and a brief whispered exchange between the Spellman sisters, then Hilda had walked upstairs to her room. When Zelda was in a deeply emotional state, she refused kind words or anyone fussing around her. It would only make things worse – namely, she was afraid of breaking down and she definitely didn’t want that to happen in front of her family.

“Hey, Auntie, you’re back” Sabrina softly greeted the redhead, appearing on the kitchen doorframe. “Do you mind if I join you for the nightcap? I can’t sleep” she proposed in a playful manner, while sitting down at the table, close to her aunt.

“Of course, Sabrina, if you don’t mind sitting there waiting for it until you’re 21” the older woman gathered her residual energy in an attempt at her usual sarcasm. The younger witch knew very well that they wouldn’t bend mortal rules about alcohol for her. Being a half mortal implied her body being more prone to the effects of toxic substances than those of full witches. The same applied for smoke – the teenager had never been particularly interested in alcohol nor in cigarettes, anyway.

“I was kidding, Aunt Zee, I’ll just have a chamomile” Sabrina replied with a tiny smile. Her aunt was clearly trying to keep up her tough attitude, but she could guess the older witch had been crying on her way back from Desmelda’s and she looked drained – “very tired”, as she would say when she was on the verge of tears, seconds before disappearing from her sight.

“I’ll make it” Zelda quickly got up. Keeping her hands busy and turning her back to her niece’s worried eyes would help her regain her composure.

“We missed you” Sabrina said to the redhead’s back. “I suppose it’s a miracle you lot didn’t summon a vengeance demon or burn down the house in the last three days” Zelda tiredly answered, while preparing the infusion.Of course you’d never answer you missed us, too, Sabrina thought, shaking her head.

  
“How’s Leticia doing, Auntie Zee? Has she grown up a lot this month?” the girl asked softly.

Zelda slowed down a little. “She’s ok, I guess” she replied sharply, then stopped for a moment her activity. She had been very short with Sabrina right before leaving – they had discussed over something stupid she couldn’t recall – and she had realised later that it had been mostly out of her nervousness about the baby. Her niece didn’t deserve her harshness now. She was just being her thoughtful, kind self.

“She’s doing pretty well, actually” she continued in a softer tone, throwing a glance at the girl. “She got more chubby. She smiles a lot and tugs at my hair as you did as a baby. She’s healthy, that’s the important thing. Desmelda is taking good care of her. She didn’t stop crying when I left, but…” her voice was threatening to break any second, so she trailed off, fidgeting with her hand while she looked at the kettle.

Sabrina got up silently, reaching Zelda and delicately placing a hand on her back. “Auntie Zee…”  
“There’s no need to fuss over me, Sabrina, for Satan’s sake” she whispered through her silent tears. Always been a pro at downplaying her own feelings. “It’s ok, Auntie” Sabrina murmured. After a few seconds, Zelda switched off the kettle, quickly wiping away her tears, while Sabrina went back to her seat.

She poured herself another glass of whiskey, letting go a deep breath, self-conscious and angry at herself like any of the other few times her niece had seen her in a vulnerable state.

“Sorry, Auntie Zee…I miss her too, you know. I wanted to ask you, actually” the girl rapidly reflected, then decided to venture into her request. “I’d like to go with you next time, if you let me.”.

“To see Leticia?” Zelda replied, slightly surprised. “Yes.  I know I shouldn’t miss school and the Academy, but I’d really like to spend some time with her. She’s my little sister, after all” the blonde added, with a smile. Zelda just raised an eyebrow before lighting up a cigarette.

“We share you as our Night Mother so that makes her at least my Night Sister. Beside everything else” the girl continued in a lighter tone. Zelda chuckled lightly. Sabrina couldn’t help still being her sweet little girl. Even after all the fights they had been through in the last few months. Behind her  occasional attitude and her not-so-occasional “civil disobedience” displays, she was still there.

“This is kind of you. But I don’t really want you to be involved in all of this. I can’t have you risking what I’m risking” the redhead replied, regaining her authoritative tone.

“But I’m already involved, Aunt Zee, come on. We all are. She’s been living here for a month and a half, and we all got attached to her. I want to support you in this. I know I’ve not been your…ideal mentee lately and that we have disagreements about stuff, but…It’s really brave _and_ crazy, what you’re doing for Leticia. I want to help you protect her.” Sabrina concluded her little speech, sipping her chamomile.

“I appreciate it, Sabrina, really. But I need to be very cautious about this. Leticia’s safety is at stake here. Besides, you just entered the Academy and I cannot put your future in jeopardy. There’s no way I can drag you into this situation and that is final.”

Sabrina felt at once a wave of rage shaking her at Zelda's commanding tone. It wasn't just about Leticia.Her nervousness towards her aunt had been accumulating for a long time. She could be so, so frustrating and Sabrina had never been afraid of expressing her views to her apparently scary guardian. Not even a little. “It’s not fair. I’m sick of this!” she protested, crossing her arms over the table.

“I beg your pardon? Last time I checked, I was the one in charge of deciding what’s fair under my roof, young lady” the older witch quickly replied.  She wasn’t expecting attitude from her niece, not now.

“I don’t care, Aunt Zelda! I’m not a little child anymore and you can’t just expect me to obey and shut up" she started, Zelda's eyes growing wide in disbelief. 

"I know I’ve been getting in trouble lately and I need to learn stuff…but I’m _sick_ of you trying to shield me all the time". The older witch couldn't understand the direction her niece's rant would take, but she could sense the anger.

"You’ve been strong for me all my life. You still are, but can’t you see that we – I – can have your back too, sometimes? Damn! We all had to pretend all these weeks that you were not upset about giving up the baby. I know you’re devastated about it" Sabrina paused just to breathe.

"Do you really believe I’d respect you any less – love you any less – if I knew you had feelings, like any human being? Or if you let me help you, for once? Christ, I don’t know how Auntie Hilda can stand living with you!!” Sabrina instantly got up and left the room.

Zelda was petrified for a moment. That had been intense. She definitely had not seen this indoor storm coming. Sabrina’s rant had sounded like the girl had kept those pent-up feelings inside for a while.  
Lucifer help me, keep me sane through these damned teenage years, she silently prayed.  
She left her niece some space, before following her outside. Despite the rain and the winter chill, the young witch had chosen the porch as the place to let her anger fade away.

Zelda sat beside her on the wooden bench before covering them both in a big, thick blanket she had just retrieved from the living room.  They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Sabrina was still holding a grudge, perched on the bench embracing her knees and refusing to look at the older witch. She welcomed the warmth of the blanket with a shiver, though.

“Sorry for snapping at you” she finally mumbled, still not looking at the woman beside her.

She knew her aunt was already overwhelmed after the visit to her new protegée. Her new _kid_ , damn. Why were they all walking on eggshells about definitions, all the time?!

Aunt Zee was drained, but she was tired too. Maybe a little “tired” too. She would definitely be if Zelda decided to tell her off now.

What the hell do mortal parents say in those cheesy tv shows? - the redhead tried to recall, at a loss for words. Oh, yeah. _That._

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Sabrina” she started, hoping it wouldn’t sound too weird from her and knowing it would. “I _do_ know you’re growing up fast and it _does_ mean a lot to me that you want to help Leticia. That you want to help me.”

“I just don’t get why one day I’m allowed to be involved, say, in a spell to protect the whole fucking town and the other day you won’t let me do anything. You don't want me involved around your new _daughter_ ” she answered, her voice trembling a little at the end. She had really said it. Damn it.

Zelda stood still for a moment, the wind blowing through her long loose hair.

“It is complicated, Sabrina. Look at me, please." The girl obeyed, reluctantly. "It’s not true that I don’t want you around the baby or that I don’t want your help. All of this is new for me, too. I …took Leticia home rather impulsively and I don’t regret it.  But I have to be extremely careful now." She took a deep breath. "I don’t know if I can or will ever say Leticia is my daughter, as you said. But you most certainly are, for Satan’s sake." She paused, her voice conveying determination although it was trembling. 

"You are a daughter to me, in every possible way, except I didn’t give birth to you.” She paused, her voice breaking again.  “And it is my duty, and beyond that, my purpose to protect you, no matter how grown-up you may think you are.  
I made mistakes with you but I cannot afford putting you through this. Through _my own_ mess. I won’t allow it.”

Sabrina was taken aback. It was the first time Zelda had used those words, ever – as much as the truth they referred to had been crystal clear to her niece every day – and the girl needed some space to let them in, now. She quickly wiped her tears, before feeling Zelda’s hand on her cheek, wiping them herself.

They just sat in silence for a while. The storm had been replaced by a light rain.

“You had never said that aloud” Sabrina whispered, breaking the silence.

“No, I had not” was Zelda’s calm reply. If there was something she dreaded, it was talking about her feelings. This never implied, though, that they were any less impetuous, especially when it came to Sabrina.

The young witch slowly rested her head on her aunt’s shoulder, both of them savouring the night peace and the warmth of each other’s presence.

“Just promise me” Sabrina interrupted the silence again “that you’ll think about it. I get that it is dangerous and all. I won’t be a kid for a long time, though. I mean, I’m firmly set on being your right hand when you’ll put into action your scheme for becoming High Priestess. You have to start trusting me with stuff at some point.” She was kidding, of course. Up to a certain point.

“Seriously, Sabrina?" Zelda let out a small laugh, sensing at the same time that the girl was not joking and what she implied touched her deeply.

Despite their conflicts, her niece knew their bond was strong, and was confident it would grow even stronger over time.

“O.k. I will take your offer into due consideration. I cannot promise you more at the moment” she explained with a sincere look at her niece. “I’ll definitely need your support when I run for High Priestess. Which is not going to happen, by the way” she added in a lighter tone.

“Seriously, Auntie, if you don’t have a scheme already, you have to make up one now. Before Father Blackwood throws me out of the Academy _or_ discovers that you kidnapped the baby.”

“The Earth is definitely doomed” the redhead sighed. Her niece wasn’t completely wrong.  
Sabrina raised her head in awe. “Auntie? Did you just quote Mr. Giles??”  
Zelda had actually sat by her side during _Buffy_   reruns when Sabrina was in middle school – season 3 to season 7, every single episode of it. Even if her aunt had never admitted it, the girl suspected that she had grown to love the show, too. As much as she assured that she was watching it just because Sabrina was too scared to watch it alone and had asked for her company.

The older witch raised smugly her eyebrows, while the amused girl, chuckling, rested again her head on her shoulder.

Sabrina silently slipped her hand in Zelda’s under the blanket. She wished she could learn some telepathy over time. For now, all she could do was hope she could convey all of her complicated, yet strong feelings through her gesture. She hoped it could tell all that she wasn’t able to say now. From the little girl in her and the woman she was going to become.

Zelda held her hand tighter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
